HC Deb 16 July 1992 vol 211 cc882-3W
Mr. Skinner

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department intends to analyse garden soil in the area surrounding the Coalite plant in Derbyshire; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames

The results of analyses of soil samples taken by the Department on farms near to the Coalite plant have been published. In addition, the results of a soil survey conducted by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution in the Bolsover area are expected to be published in due course. These analyses will give a comprehensive picture of dioxing levels in soils in the area and therefore it is not necessary to analyse garden soils.

Mr. Skinner

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food whether his Department intends to carry out analyses of the garden vegetables in the areas surrounding the Coalite plant in Derbyshire; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Soames

I refer the hon. Gentleman to my reply to him on 15 July 1992. The Department has no plans to analyse garden vegetables.

Mr. Skinner

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will release the full analyses done on the soil samples from the farms near the Coalite plant in Derbyshire, including the concentrations of individual dioxin and furan congeners;

(2) if he will release the full analyses done on milk and animal tissues taken from farms near the Coalite plant in Derbyshire, including the concentrations of individual dioxin and furan congeners.

Mr. Soames

Yes. The data are voluminous and I will arrange for copies to be placed in the Library of the House when these have been compiled into a suitable form.

Dr. David Clark

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will give the results of the dioxin analyses of herbage samples from Woodhouse farm, Bolsover including toxic and dioxin furan isomers, as well as the total toxic equivalents; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Gummer

Further samples are being obtained and the full results published along with other data derived from the research work carried out on the farm.

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